The Weekender

We are having an extension built on the back of our house and the last 4 weeks have been very challenging, to say the least! I have not had much computer time and all my efforts have been put into running the business and clearing parts of the house as necessary to facilitate building works. It's been cold & not without problems - every weekend has seen a flood of some kind or another. This weekend was no exception and it has been a rather exhausting one. As a bit of escapism, I started reading some of the sewing blogs I so love and have missed catching up on these past few months.

 

One project which cropped up a few times and captured my attention was The Weekender by Amy Butler. I bought this pattern about 4 years ago on a whim. Once it arrived and I actually looked at the instructions I promptly put it back down again & didn't really give it a second thought. It was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond my comfort zone. However, after scouring other blogs for ideas and advice on this bag, I have again picked it up. I had a good clear out of my craft room and started properly organising it. It's a "work in progress" shall we say, and there is still a lot of room for improvement BUT the desk is clear & now houses my sewing machine & I can nip in there when I have a spare 10 mins & pick up the project I am working on without having to haul everything out each time. So, here are some pictures of my progress. Don't expect miracles - this one is going to take a while and I am very nervous about it but I am going to try and enjoy the process and not feel the need to rush to finish as I so often do. Excuse the poor picture quality - I am currently using my phone as the camera charger is somewhere safe - so safe we have no idea where!!

 

Front panel

Close up of quilt as you go quilting for the back panel

See the backing canvas I am using? Bought for a steal at IKEA years ago - it's so good not to have to buy something but just make do with what I have!

I have so far cut out pieces for the front and back panels and the front and back pockets. I am yet to cut the side panels & pockets and choose the lining fabric. I've not yet gathered all supplies - I need to source a zip (around 24 inches) and interfacing for the lining (I have some heavyweight and some lightweight - of course I need medium weight for this!!) and piping cord. No rush, though - still plenty of panels to "Quilt as You Go" (which I am really enjoying BTW)

Off to empty the dehumidifier....................what an exciting life I lead!!

Foundation Piecing

Whilst researching for my mosaic for Mouthy Stitches, I came across this fabulous design and couldn't stop thinking about it.

I've not used foundation piecing before but thought it might be worth giving it a whirl. So, I sorted out some diamond templates from paper and set too. There seem to be various learnings on foundation piecing - some stitch straight through the foundation paper, others suggest you should not do this. I opted for the latter, just stitching at each corner around the diamond then slip stitching the 6 diamonds together & pressing before removing the foundation pieces. I stitched the finished star onto a 9" piece of backing fabric and then machine & hand quilted per the original.

First try using same fabrics as in Mouthy Stitches swap pouch with Osnaburg

Reverse & interior - you can just see the 3 lines of hand quilting I added to the back for continuity

Pouch no. 2 using my beloved Echo prints and grey solid cotton for the background

Reverse of pouch showing lining, zipper choice & straight line machine quilting

 I actually have another on the go using my Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabrics. I think I may be a little zippy pouch addicted! But what a great way to use a little of my fabric mountain for fabulous linings and deminish a little of those ever growing scraps I seem to hoard - both fabric and batting!

Seriously, though - when I can't be bothered to drag my machine from the top shelf in the dining room and set it all up, these foundation pieced stars are a great way to share evenings with DH snuggling under a quilt and catching up on some telly. We've recently re-discovered BBC iPlayer through our fabulous internet TV and have been watching some great British Dramas - Prisoner's Wives we are now up to date with - The Insiders is next on the itinerary - two down, two more to watch this evening!

Who knows - I might even start a foundation pieced quilt. Or am I really that crazy???

I made a Mug Rug!

It uses some of my Echo scraps & some Osnaburg scraps.

 Inspired by a rug I found on Pinterest

This one's a gift but I am definitely going to be making more. They are simple to make, a fabulous idea & satisfying for using those scraps!



I did it!

Measures approx. 60" x 70"

My Echo Quilt Top is finished & I am very pleased with it. Still plenty of my FQ stack left to make the back and some other bits and pieces too - am very much looking forward to that in the New Year

The rain finally stopped - a better "outdoors" pic

And now for the big clear up ready for our neighbours who are visiting tonight to see in 2012. My Trivial Pursuits set (from my sister & brother in law for Christmas) is at the ready, we are ordering takeaway from our fabulous local Indian Restaurant (this has become a New Years Eve tradition!!), the bubbles are on ice and the kids are super excited about having a sleepover with Penny

I hope you have a fabulous evening whatever you may be doing. Thank you to all of you who visit and those of you who take the time to comment on my little blog. I really do appreciate it. Wishing you all a healthy, prosperous New Year

With much love xxx

PS I have linked this post to Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day

The blocks are done!

Okay the blocks are now done and laid out on the lounge floor

First layout - not quite right

Getting better but too many similar blocks together on the bottom two rows

Probably what I'm settling on - having  a think!

Do any of you do this? Lay out your blocks and take pictures? I've sewn blocks together in the past and only when they are quilted have I seen how I would probably have done it a little differently. This time, I am photographing and pondering - I find a picture on my laptop screen so much easier to see glaring "errors" than looking at the blocks on the floor

Not sure if I have the energy to trim & sew together tonight but would very much like to get this stitched together before the New Year - we have friends over tomorrow night with their daughter so if it's not done tonight it will be next year

We'll see................

A Lotta Blocks

These p(f)un titles just have to stop! I have now cut everything out ready to sew blocks together. I have made a good start tonight but am shattered & it's mum & dad's anniversary tomorrow & we have a busy day planned so enough is enough

Here's the progress so far (again - crappy almost midnight pictures but they're the best I can get in this light). This is not the final layout - it was just to give me an idea how it was all going to hang together.

I've used the block designs from Fresh Lemon Squares Lemon Quilt Tutorial. This is yet another I've had in my faves "to try" but hadn't. I decided that these would be the perfect fabrics to use for it. Hope I'm right!!

Over half way and I'm liking how it's coming together...................do you?

I likey a Lotta!

When The Echo range from Lotta Jansdotter first started hitting my screen I was absolutely smitten & just knew that I had to bag me some of that. So, when the e-mail marketing from Courtney at Seamstar arrived in November, my hands were literally trembling as I purchased a fat quarter of each of the fabrics in the range (I was so pleased she decided to get them all!)

Since then I have been stroking & admiring but at a loss to know what to do with them. Tonight I decided to bite the bullet and started cutting & sewing

The more I work with these prints, the more I love them - I can't wait to get these blocks cut & stitched together!